Taking an under-the-tongue (sublingual) cat dander extract may
reduce symptoms such as sneezing, itchy eyes, or cough in cat allergy
sufferers. This finding is good news for people with cat allergies who
have had to undergo allergy shots to treat the problem.

The process of giving a person increasing doses of the substance
they are allergic to is known as immunotherapy. With time and repeated
doses of the substance, the body learns to tolerate the allergen and
symptoms improve.

In a recent double-blind study, 50 people with cat allergy were
randomly assigned to receive either under-the-tongue cat dander extract
or placebo. For 12 months, the people in the cat dander extract group
were given increasing doses of the extract until they reached a daily
maintenance dose. They were instructed to keep the liquid under their
tongue for at least two minutes before swallowing. After one year of
treatment, results showed that 62% of the group given the extract
experienced fewer symptoms when exposed to cats, while there were no
significant improvements in the placebo group.

The under-the-tongue immunotherapy was well tolerated by the
participants but the study was not designed to assess safety, so
results should be considered preliminary.

People who suffer from cat allergy should talk to their doctor about
treatment options including immunotherapy as a way to improve and
reduce symptoms. Not all people improve with immunotherapy, but for
those who respond favorably, treatment may help significantly.